My uncle, who was the central pastor of about 500 churches (which were closed due to this pandemic), had to wait about a week to get an appointment for surgery on stomach due to covid-19 restrictions. My family members started praying to God & then started to question God. In spite of working day in and out for the ministry, why had God put our uncle through such a situation in his life.
It left me Wondering : How are Christians to continue trusting God in all this mess?
Thankfully Christianity exists from the beginning. We are not the first to wrestle with this question. The book of Habakkuk is all about a believer wrestling with this very question.
Although Habakkuk is a prophetic book, it has much in common with the book of Psalms. The prophet is raw and honest about his troubles before God. He offers 4 ways to trust God no matter the circumstances.
A. Complain to God
It almost sounds wrong typing this, but this is what we see throughout the Bible. God’s people complain to God about the circumstances that surround them. This is no different for Habakkuk, nor should it be for you.
We must complain to God first before we turn to complain via Twitter, Facebook, activism, WhatsApp etc.
B. Remember God’s past actions
All humans are prone to forgetfulness, which became worse as the times passed by along with the worsening circumstances.
When everything around you is crumbling, you must remember what God has already done in the past.
The prophet remembers what God did in Israel’s past, especially the Exodus and conquest of the Promised Land. This should be the same for every Christian.
You are to remember the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Use methods available to you to remember God’s actions such as Bible reading, Christian meditation, singing, attending church, youth fellowships, etc.
C. Make requests to God
Making requests is not the same as complaining. It involves asking specific actions of God based on what He has revealed in the Bible.
These requests must not contradict the Bible but must be informed by it. Here Habakkuk prays to God to repeat the saving acts of the Exodus in his present day.
But to make his request line up with what God had revealed to him, he adds, “in wrath remember mercy”.
It must be the same for you. Make requests of God that align with the Bible. The Bible has plenty to tell us about how God uses our dire circumstances to fulfil His plans and purposes.
You too can request God to be merciful in the worse circumstances such as the year of 2020, rather than always praying for relief from them.
Even in a year like 2020, have you not seen God being merciful?
Or people becoming Christians via numerous video sources that the Christian Church has been bringing online?
Have you not heard testimonies of growth in your own church?
D. Resolve to trust in God
The Bible never promises Christians immunity from suffering this side of eternity.
For some Christians, the suffering has only gotten worse in 2020. This was the same for Habakkuk.
Yet, despite the bleak picture the prophet paints, he resolves to rejoice in the Lord.
He resolves to trust in God because he knew the ultimate outcome of history. He knew God would save His people. He knew God, in His wrath, would remember mercy.
Conclusion
As it was for Habakkuk and Israel, so it is for any Christian today. The cross is the supreme example of God’s showing mercy in His wrath for those who will put their confidence in him
Anyway now I can say that God will definitely allow some bad situations or even worse experiences in our life. But when you face those situations, don’t think God hates you, that He doesn't hear your prayers or why God allowed all the tragedies in your life. Because if God put you through it, that is because He loves you more than ever, and wants to mold you for a better tomorrow.
Let me wind up by mentioning one more thing:- if you think you are alone or that you don’t have anyone to hear your feelings, don’t worry! We the people of Elohim Global Worship Centre is here for you, especially our Pastor Binu Vazhamuttam is here to speak the words from God. On every Sunday & Tuesday we have prayer meetings at our chruches. You can visit our church & if you are not a member of any other church you can be a part of Elohim family.
We also have Snehathanal old age home for the people who has lost everything. You can visit our beautiful shelter home & sponsor your special day. You can visit other pages of our website for more details.
So let me conclude with this beautiful verse: "Trust in the lord with all your heart, don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know Him in all your paths and he will keep your ways straight." - Proverbs 3: 5-6
God knows exactly what you need, whom you need, how you need and when you need it. Trust him. Amen
God Bless You All